Artist weaves luminous shelters & sculptures out of willow

Art made in the quiet womb of nature can have an enchanting effect. Outdoor sculptures, particularly those made with natural materials like woven willow, are especially fascinating because of their pliant character allows them to be made into fantastical forms that might be impossible otherwise. Using flexible greenwood, British artist Tom Hare creates large-scale works that mimic natural forms and provide shelter.

"Willow is the perfect example of a sustainable material, which can be woven into forms with such spontaneity," says Hare as he describes his process:

The whole process of producing willow sculpture is very grounding. The connection with nature, through coppicing and transferring observations into design, can be a humbling experience, and a physical one too.

The willow has its own character with evocative qualities. Through time an understanding of this develops, which together with a bundle of patience, are all woven into the final creation.